Went to Ashby show and met Ruth Dalton, the RBST Field Officer for the North. She gave us a leaflet called 'Poultry Breeds at Risk' which seems to list most of the established Pedigree breeds anyway. Even Buff Orpingtons are listed as are the aforementioned two. Marsh Daisys are listed, but the last few years has seen a brisk trade in hatching eggs so I wouldn't say they were rare now. The Marsh Daisy Club has even started to breed odd variations with some significant original traits missing or reduced. If you do help a rare breed I believe you need to be sure that you are working with the original strain and not some modern show variation. Orpingtons were a Utility breed but many have lost their egg laying capacity in the quest for better colouration and characteristics for show. We are trying to recover Blue laced Wyandotte's utility characteristcs for our own benefit but realistically we should go back to the Original White variety. It seems that the blue lacing brings with it some strange character disorders and the least blue we have lay the best and are the nicest natured. So I suppose what I am saying is what does rare mean? Is it few numbers of birds in total or few original breeding strains remaining. Perhaps someone has given this issue more thought than me and has some better ideas?

African Geese - I don't know how "rare" they are, but when I wanted some they were next to impossible to source. I choose them as a breed as they are totally non-aggressive, and though I loved the idea of geese I didn't want something around that attacked everything.

They have proved charming and very non-aggressive. Laid a fair number of eggs, and the gander fertilized pretty well 100 percent of her eggs, and those of another goose as well. All in all - what it said on the tin

I also had tremendous difficulty when I wanted some Exhibition Rouen Ducks- again I wanted something placid, and that would eat my slugs and horse flies, and again did what they said. They are also said to taste delicious, though I cannot verify this

I will try and post some photos

All the best
Sue

If you want to follow my travel journal see
www.theworldismylobster.org.uk

I would love to see some pics of your Rouen ducks Sue. I've just hatched some Runners out and also a couple of chicks.
Funnily enough I have a friend who knows Ruth! I didn't know what she did until recently though I also know she is very particular about what breeds of poultry she keeps as she is wanting to preserve them. If anything doesn't meet up it goes in the pot I think she has some Amrocks.
Thanks for replying guys.

Most breeds have a society which looks after them and is affiliated with the Poultry Club of Great Britain, so even though the RBST has a classification a lot of the breeds have their own club here in the UK, which means there are a lot of existing supporters and breeders.

The PCGB club also supports the Rare Poultry Society which manages the rarer and conservation side of poultry, and is basically an "umbrella" club for all the rare breeds in the UK which are not currently supported by their own club. Members who an active interest in a rare breed or who are trying to maintain/resurrect a breed are called "registrars"
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Dorinda a member here I think is a registrar of Svart Honas, beautiful black skinned and very rare birds!

I don't go by the RBST lost - a lot of them are almost common at shows - I go by the Rare breed society - I've got one very rare breed over here - Svart Hona - Swedish Blacks - not rare in Sweden though - there are only 6 adult birds over here and about 20 chicks - I know because they're mine
Here are a couple of pikkis of them taken at Wigtown show last week - the male won his class "male non-standard" it was the first time a lot of people had ever seen them - and the first show they have been to in the country!
sorry Kate just seen what you have written - I imported the eggs and have all the svart Hona population here - but Julia Keeling is the registrar - as she is for Ayam Cemani - we are trying to work out if there is a lonk somewhere along the line as they have some similar characteristics (comb wattles etc)

Cochin Best of Breed -Scottish National 2010, 2011, 2012, Best of Breed Favorelles 2012, Best Opp Size Brahma, Best of breed Sabelpoot, best opp Sex, 1sts White German Langshan fem. Male Large Favorelles, and AOV Rare large - Male spangled Russian Orloff